Alpha Kian And His Captive Mate novel Chapter 23

A haunting wolf song filled the air with its intertwined melody as darkness slowly engulfed the landscape and the string lights wound around the trees came alive. There were firepits setup every few feet to counter the temperature drop as the sun went down and the ocean waves got louder. The most beautiful sight was the colorful lanterns reflecting in the meandering lake water.

I was not new to these celebrations and ceremonies because Wyatt's family loved to honor a lot of things by going all out: The Naming Ceremony, First Kill ceremony, Alpha Ceremony, Death Ceremony, and of course the Mating Ceremony. The most common and least exciting one is the Full Moon Gathering where the pack just meets.

At the Red Crescent Pack, I knew everybody, and the love and affection from my family were palpable. I was a stranger here. Ren left me once we reached the venue, and the one bodyguard who accompanied us also stepped back to allow me to join the others.

The peaceful ambiance with just a few pack members was all gone when the food arrived and crowds came with it. Everyone howled in excitement as the new Alpha walked over and stood before his pack. With rippling muscles and a dazzling smile, he oozed dominance, built to be the strongest.

Kian's dad was proudly giving a speech, while Beta Ryder, Gamma Finn and other high ranking wolves stood close behind.

Any member of the pack who was against Kian stepping up as their Alpha was welcome to challenge him at this point. If the challenger loses, some packs turn the defeated wolf into an omega or banish them from the pack. I'm sure Kian's pack just kills them.

The full moon peeking from the woods distracted me. Kian seemed to be standing right in front of it as the moon was racing towards the horizon. My pendant, which I hid well under my dress, was basking in the moonlight and trying to absorb as much energy as it could.

Kian stole a quick glance at me, and I was sure my eyes glowed for him at that moment. He turned to face the Mage who set up some protection magic over his position. The pack howled again and stretched their arms towards their Alpha as if sharing energy.

The wolf song started again along with the Mage's incantations and the pack's frenzied howls. Power coursed through my veins and just like everyone around me, I found myself kneeling down and looking up at the mighty Alpha and the surrounding aura.

His beta and gamma stepped forward as the Mage's incantations came to an end. Amidst loud cheers and all the wolves moving forward, Kian shifted into his wolf form followed by a few others.

Rex turned back to look at me, but only for a split second. I'm sure he could feel my eyes glow. I saw his pupils darken before he turned away and disappeared into the woods as the last beams of moonlight faded away.

******

~Nyla~

"Werewolf ceremonies are a beautiful thing, isn't it? I get goosebumps all the time no matter how many I have attended already." I heard a familiar voice and was delighted to see Olivia.

"Livi! I have missed you! Especially our conversations over coffee." I didn't even get a chance to say bye to her when moving to Kian's floor.

Moon at its fullest is supposed to make my kind stronger than usual they say, but I guess that strength doesn't extend to willpower and controlling my raging hormones.

If he kisses me now, I don't think I can push him away as I typically do. What a superficial and shameless woman I am to get all excited for a murderer just because he looks extra sexy and radiating so much power.

"Thinking about me?"

I froze when I heard his voice from behind and looked at Olivia helplessly. With this mistress tag he gave me, he's not even afraid of approaching me amidst such crowds.

"I'm thinking about this shrimp. There's too much pepper in it."

He changed from a traditional loose-fitting shirt with his pack symbol into a perfectly tailored white button-down shirt.

I focused on my plate of food and examined it with extra attention. Not sure why, but I was feeling like some sixteen-year-old who was meeting her boyfriend alone for the first time.